In Classification and Determination of Constitution in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the China Association of Chinese Medicine classifies body constitutions of the human body into nine types, including yin-yang harmony constitution, yang deficiency constitution, yin deficiency constitution, qi deficiency constitution, phlegm-dampness constitution, dampness-heat constitution, qi depression constitution, blood stasis constitution, and allergic constitution, most of which belong to sub-healthy states.
The so-called dampness, which is commonly referred to as water-dampness, includes exogenous dampness and endogenous dampness. The exogenous dampness is caused by invasion of exogenous water-dampness into the human body as a result of humid climate, wading, exposure to rain or dampness of living room. The endogenous dampness is a pathological product and often relates to digestive function. It is believed by traditional Chinese medicine that the spleen has the function of “transportation and transformation of water-dampness”. In case of indigestion due to weakness, overeating or eating too much oily food or sweets, the spleen cannot perform the function of transportation and transformation of water-dampness, leading to “internal retention of water-dampness”. Moreover, people with spleen deficiency tend to incur invasion of exogenous dampness, and the functioning of spleen and stomach is often frustrated by exogenous dampness, leading to endogeny of dampness. Thus there is both independent and related relationship between the exogenous dampness and the functioning of spleen and stomach. The so-called heat is a kind of symptom caused by heat. In the case of dampness-heat, heat and dampness coexist. Because dampness and heat invades simultaneously the human body due to the muggy weather in summer and autumn, or the dampness is retained for a long time to transform into heat, or the dampness is transformed by the “yang-heat constitution” “from yang into heat”, the simultaneous presence of dampness and heat is very common.
Such sub-healthy constitution as dampness-heat constitution belongs to chronic diseases and has a relatively long disease course, and requires a long-term medication and gradual conditioning, in order to achieve the effects of removing heat to eliminate dampness. The drug forms commonly used in the traditional Chinese medicine are decoctions and Chinese patent medicine such as pills and the like. Decoctions usually have relatively good efficacy, but the administration thereof is complicated, and the taste thereof is poor. If the decoctions need to be prepared for a long time, it is difficult for a patient to keep taking the decoctions. Moreover, the efficacy of the pills is relatively poor.
It is mentioned in the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor that “the superior physician prevents illness, the mediocre physician attends to impending illness, and the inferior physician treats actual illness”, wherein the phrase “prevent illness” means taking corresponding measures to prevent the occurrence and development of diseases. The body constitution determines the health of people and susceptibility to diseases. It is believed in the traditional Chinese medicine that since the human beings live in the natural world, physiological functions of the human body usually change with seasons, that is, “correspondence between man and nature”. Winter is the season when the human body “stores energies”, thus appropriate nourishment can enhance the constitution, ward off diseases and strengthen the body, and prolong life, that is, conditioning in winter or nourishing in winter commonly mentioned in the traditional Chinese medicine. For the sub-healthy population with dampness-heat constitution, a solid oral paste with a higher drug concentration and good taste, and being convenient to carry more meets requirements of modern people.